AMNESTY REPORT ALLEGES WIDESPREAD U.S. RIGHTS ABUSES

WASHINGTON -- The United States measures other countries against a
lofty ideal when it comes to human rights, but it frequently violates
these standards within its own borders, Amnesty International contends.

From prisoners forced to wear shock-emitting stun belts to police who
beat suspects without cause, the 153-page report provides the group's
first comprehensive look at human rights violations in the United States.

Amnesty International accuses the United States of maintaining a
double standard: criticizing other countries while not abiding by
international treaties and principles of human rights itself. The
United States, for example, has failed to sign the U.N. Convention on
the Rights of the Child, which seeks to promote human rights for children.

"When the U.S. house is not in order, it makes it far harder for the
U.S. to take the kind of leadership role in international human rights
that many of us in Amnesty would like to see it take," says William
Schulz, executive director of the American chapter of the London-based
organization.

Amnesty, a longtime vocal opponent of capital punishment, admonished
the United States for its continued use of the death penalty. The
country should move to abolish the system, which is "racist, arbitrary
and unfair," the group said.

U.S. authorities have executed more than 350 prisoners since 1990, and
another 3,300 prisoners await execution on death row, the report
noted, and some states execute juveniles and persons with mental
retardation.

International standards dictate that law enforcement officers should
use force only as a last resort and in proportion to the threat they
encounter. But the report accuses police of frequently disregarding
these standards, beating and abusing suspects unnecessarily.

The 1997 case of Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant allegedly tortured
by New York City police, recently propelled the problem into the
public spotlight. But the report also points to abuses in other cities
such as Philadelphia -- where police allegedly conducted unjustified
traffic stops and searches, particularly on minorities -- and
Pittsburgh -- where drug squad officers allegedly planted evidence on
suspects and falsified reports.

The report criticizes officers who use stun guns -- a handheld device
with two metal prongs that emits an electric shot -- or who "hogtie"
suspects by binding their wrists and ankles together.

Stun guns, like any tool, can be misused, said a spokesman for the
National Association of Chiefs of Police. But "it's actually one of
the better devices, if used properly," said Gerald Arenberg.

Arenberg also acknowledged that police can benefit from oversight,
urging those who believe they have been victimized to contact such
authorities as the FBI or state attorney.

"I think we do need someone watching over our shoulders," Arenberg
said.

Prison facilities are another site of frequent human rights
violations, the report alleges, saying inmates fall victim to
excessive force by guards, sexual abuse by fellow inmates and cruel
use of restraints, such as leg-irons and restraint chairs.

Some prisoners are forced to wear remote control stun belts, which
emit a shock when activated by guards. The stun belts, used by the
U.S. Bureau of Prisons, 100 county agencies and at least 16 state
correctional facilities, cause severe pain and incapacitation, says
the report.

"Amnesty International believes that such devices are inherently
subject to, and even invite, abuse," the report says. While the United
States prides itself as a haven for the persecuted, asylum seekers
often end up thrown in jail, detained indefinitely and treated as
criminals, says the report.

Immigration and Naturalization Service officials stressed that people
are not detained simply for seeking asylum and denied that they are
detained for prolonged periods.

"The seeking of asylum is not what gets you in detention," said INS
spokesman Andrew Lluberes. Those who enter the country without proper
documents or who falsify their identity can be placed in the expedited
removal process, but can be granted asylum by an immigration judge, he
said.

He added that from October 1997 to October 1998, the 523 people who
were eventually ordered removed by an immigration judge stayed an
average of 59 days. Another 709 spent 34 days in detention while their
claims were heard and 640 spent 93 days in detention before appearing
before an immigration judge.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry